'I've always known I want to be with Zara for the rest of my life'

Sam Thompson on how his ADHD diagnosis has improved his relationship with girlfriend Zara McDermott

- JEN PHARO

He’s charming, handsome and successful, having turned a reality TV career into a bankable brand. On top of that, former Made In Chelsea favourite Sam Thompson has found his soulmate in former Love Island star Zara McDermott, a woman who is beautiful, clever and shares his totally goofy sense of humour.

On the day of our interview, Sam is buoyant and energetic, having just returned from a snowboarding holiday. However, this is a new Sam we’re seeing – one who is finally learning why his life is sometimes so chaotic. He has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – ADHD.

“When I first started doing TV I’d have producers say it to me,” says Sam. “But I was like, ‘I’m in my early twenties, shut up!’ Then I did SAS: Who Dares Wins [in 2019] with [former politician and author] Louise Mensch and she has ADHD and she was like, ‘I’m convinced you’ve got it,’ and she went, ‘I take medication for it and it’s changed my life.’”

The conversation stayed with Sam but he didn’t act on Louise’s advice. Then as he grew a bit older and his life became more complex, he became overwhelmed by mundane tasks such as paying parking fines and submitting his tax returns. But, just as Sam couldn’t focus on those tasks, he also couldn’t focus on addressing the possibility that he may have ADHD. “Because I have ADHD, I basically didn’t do anything,” he says.